The Steilneset Memorial

Located in Vardø, Norway, the Steilneset Memorial was built in remembrance of the dark days of the early 17^th century when the witch hunt was wide spread and a total of 135 individuals were accused of sorcery, out of which 91 were convicted. The Steilneset Memorial in Vardø comprises two structures, one conceived entirely by Peter Zumthor and a second housing an installation by the late Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010). The first structure has a pine scaffolding framework, inside which is a suspended fabric cocoon containing a long oak-floored corridor. Inside the corridor, light bulbs hang behind 91 windows to represent each victim. The installation by Bourgeois, entitled The Damned, The Possessed and The Beloved, occupies the smoked-glass-clad second structure. A circle of mirrors within surround and reflect a flaming steel chair inside a hollow concrete cone.